James and Simone came to APC unsure of their ability to keep their heads above water in the short term and to make sure that the rest of their financial house was in order and working hard for them. They felt out of control and disorganised when it came to their money, despite being high-income earners. Some of their other concerns and priorities were explained to us as follows;

• Having recently bought a home, we want to make sure we’re also building wealth for the long term.
• We think we will ultimately have good cash flow. Where is the best place to put that?
• Down the track, we’d like to understand what it would mean, financially, if we were to move to a country town (by 2030)
• We would love to be able to assist our kids to get into the property market when the time comes.
• Retirement is a long way away, but it would be great to understand if we are somewhat on track.

• We established and documented a comprehensive financial plan.
• At the foundation was strong cash flow management and separated bank accounts allowing them to more effectively allocate money to their various objectives
• Multiple long-term projections illustrated what different courses of action meant. This helped them understand the trade-offs, what was viable and what was not.
• Their superannuation was reallocated to lower-cost options that better suited their long-term growth goals
• Wealth protection strategies were implemented through appropriate levels of personal insurance
• A clear plan was set for the allocation of their incomes
• We commenced a ‘debt recycling’ strategy – converting ‘bad debt’ for ‘good debt’ and establishing a long-term investment portfolio
• Met with them ongoing at 6 monthly intervals – keeping them accountable to agreed activities – whilst keeping an eye on cash flow and the long run

• James and Simone felt that they could prioritise investment and wealth creation at the same time as paying down their home mortgage.
• Their superannuation was working harder for their future
• They had peace of mind that with discipline and consistency, they would be able to support their retirement and plans to assist their children
• What they were working hard to build was protected as best as possible
• All the pieces of their financial pie were in order and they could worry less knowing we’d check in at 6 monthly intervals to keep them on track and accountable
• Comfort that as life inevitably changed, their plan would too